Degreeing a VVT cam for a stroker motor - help, advice, and common sense check, pls!!

[volvofan]

Spun a rod bearing on the previous setup due probably to poor oiling.
Previous setup:

L99 from a 2011 SS A6 installed in a 98 Volvo S90.
FAST intake, LT headers, CAI, Granatelli coils/wires, 25% underdrive, TSP VVT-1 cam and 16 degree phaser limiter, PRC CNC ported heads and dual valve springs, chromoly pushrods, comp cams trunion bearings, LS9 head gaskets, ARP hardware, DOD/AFM delete, 2400 stall PATC, 3.73 gears (OEM Volvo, yeah baby!), stock bottom end.

Used some go-fast parts from a 6.0L block I had to turn my "repair" into an "upgrade." Changes are as follows:

4" forged stroker crank
Eagle h-beam rods
ARP hardware for both
Mahle power pak flat tops with valve reliefs for low 11s static comp ratio
LS2 timing chain dampener
Adjustable crank sprocket

Here is the background to my question:

The TSP VVT-1 cam is their most "streetable" grind, and this is a daily driver so I don't mind leaving a bit of HP on the table to have a non-obnoxious sounding idle... I have cutouts for when I want to be obnoxious That cam is designed for stock cubes and a stroker motor would generally want more duration so the ideal cam according to TSP would be their VVT-4. I think I will stick with the VVT-1 but am considering retarding the cam timing since the cam is ground so as to provide more low-to-mid grunt when run straight up. With a stroker crank (in a lighter-than-a-Camaro Volvo that will probably never have slicks mounted on it) I don't think low-to-mid range is really where I will need the power that the cam provides. I understand that top end power comes from cam retard and that could be "tuned" in by adjusting the phaser tables, but my concern is that, since some advance has already been ground into the cam and the phaser limiter prevents retard past 16 cam degrees, that I will run out of retard ability and leave top end power on the table.

Here is my question: I am considering using the adjustable crank sprocket to retard cam timing 8 crank degrees (4 cam degrees). Combined with the VVT system's ability to retard the cam another 16 degrees, will that juice be worth the squeeze? I have adequate piston-to-valve clearance... Without manually retarding the VVT gear I was at about .275" PTV on exhaust at -8 degrees of crank. Does my course of action make sense or am I all screwed up here?

Thanks,
-Jon

[volvofan]

Bueller?

[Rhino79]

Degree it straight up if you haven't. Whats the true installed centerline? If its 108 or higher, leave it alone.

[trw427ss]

The phaser limiter gives you 20° of retard not 16°. Just put in in straight up it will be fine. You can do everything with the computer.